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EI'H. Mfi'cHELL. AIRSHIP or mam TYPE:

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. H9.

2 Hung:

Pa :enmd1m .26,1919.

E. H. MITCHELL.

AIRSHIP 0F RIGID TYPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23. 1919.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919 Z SHEET$-SHEET 2.

fie. 2.

TED sra r ns PATENT orrron.

EWEN HENDERSON MITCHELL, F BEDFOBD, ENGLAND. ASSIGNOR OF ONEJHIBD TO' ALBERT EUS TACE SHORT AND ONE-THIRD TO HUGH OSWALD SHORT, BOTH OF BEIDFOBD, ENGLAND.

AJIBSHIP OF RIGID TYPE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

7 tion. a

In balloons or ail-ships of the rigid type; 10.

Be it known that L'Ewes' Hexnsnsox M'ITCHELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bed'ford, Bcdtordshire, England,-have invented certain new and useful lniproi'ement-s in AlISlilPfinf Rigid Type, of which the following is a specificathat is comprising flexible containers supported within an mclosuw rigid framework, the gas containers are ocated in such framework end to end and provision should a be made in the event of one of the "as con spherical, preferably as shown in the con tainers becoming accidentally deflated to take or support the end pressure of the adjacent gas containers. In known constructions such endway' pressure has been taken by means of taut radial and cord wires extending in transverse planes between the gas containers and fixed to the surround- The invention will be described with ref erence to the accompanying diagrammatic ,drawings, in which Fi ure 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of a )ortion of a rigid airship constructed accor mg to this invention, and Fig. 2 1s a transverse section showing a system of supporting wires between the ends of the gas containers.

In the longitudinal section at Fig. 1, three complete gas containers 1, 2 and 3 and a portion of a fourth marked 4 are shown, located within the usual rigid framework 5 of the airship.

The ends of the gas containers accordin -to this invention are formed somewhat figuration of the lower end of a pear, that is with a depression or concavlty about in the center of the end. In the drawing Fig.

any distorting Specification Letters Patent Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application filed April as, 1919. Serial No. 292,074.

are arranged, the ends of the wires being' secured to the rigid frames 10, and the wires are not strained .taut as hitherto but pass loosely between the ends of the gas contain crs, so that the wires 8, 9 conform to the (-ih'ves of the ends of the gas containers. Preferably this transverse system of loose. wires 8, 9 may be supported at the center by a longitudinally extending wire 11 shown by a dot and dash line, at Fig. land alsoindicated at Fig. 2, this central line wire 11 extending through the gas containers. The curvature of the ends of the gas containers and the position of thcitransverse wires as indicated at Fig. 1 are therefore so arranged that there will be practically no distorting stresses on the framework Obviously with such a construction the. loosely fitted transverse wires 8, 9 am not employed for the purpose of maintaining the rigid form of the structure, but assuming that the gas container becomes deflated,- then the adjacent end of the container 1, which was concave, will assume a convex form as shown by the dotted lines 12, Fig. 1, and be supported by the transverse wires 8,- 5) located between the containers 1, 2, and further the container 1, for instance in as suming such convex curves, will be increased in cubical capacity with a corresponding reduction in the pressure of the gas contained therein. Owing, to the shape of the ends of the gas containers the transverse wires 8, 9 may be of much less strength than those at present used, and moreover the strains on the main structure of the airship caused by one container becoming deflated, are reduced to a minimum and distorting stresses on the framework are obviated.

In the example of .the invention illw trated in the drawings the gas containers in transverse section and the framework are of a form described in my copending application Serial No. 292,073, filed April 23, 191$}, that is the gas containers are of approximately pear-shaped figure in transverse section and the outer rigid framework 5 conforms to such shape, and lift wires 13, Fig. 2

- extend interiorly from the frames 14, at

What I claim asfmy invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In airshipsor the like of rigid type; the combination with an outer rigid framework;

' of flexible gas containers located in the intei was concave will assume a convex rior of same end to end, the ends ofeaeh gas container being of somewhat spherical formation with an approximately central deression such as of the configuration of the ower end of a pear, the convex end of one gas container fitting into the adjacent concave end of the next gas container, and a number of supporting wires extending in planes transversely of the longitudinal axis of the airship and having their ends secured to the rigid framework and passing between the curved ends of adjacent gas containers, said supporting wires 'being of suflicient length to permit them to conform to the curves of the ends of the inflated gas containers between which they pass, and Whereby when a gas container becomes deflated.

the adjacent end of the next container which form and be supported by said transverse wires.

2. In airships or the like of rigid type;

. supporting wires naiasco the combination with an outer rigid framework of flexible gas containers located in the interior of same end to end, the ends. of

each gas container being of somewhat spherical formation with an approximately central depression such as of the configuration of the lower end of a pear, the convex end of one gas container fittting into the. adjacent concave end of thenext gas container, a

number of supporting wires extending in planes transversely of the longitudinal axis of the airshi and having their ends secured to the rigid ramework and passing between the curved ends of adjacent gas containers,"

said supporting wires being of suflicient length to permit them to conform to the curves of the ends of the inflated gas containers between which they pass, and a lon gitudinal wire extending about centrally through the gas containers to which central wire said series of transversely extending by when a gas container becomes deflated the adjacent end of the next container which was concave will assume a convex form excepting at the central part where the supporting wires are held by the longitudinal wire;

In witness whereof I have hereunto setmy hand in the presence of two witnesses.

; EWEN HENDERSON MITCHELL. Witnesses:

' THOMAS W, Romans,

WILLIAM A. Mme ar-t are connected, and where- 

